“Most homeless people are not stereotypical chronic homeless. Most of them are temporarily homeless, find themselves in a crisis, and need [a] safety net,” said Helping Hands executive director Chris Murray. “They’re clean. They’re friendly. They’re not the least bit menacing. They’re of sound mental health. They’re not on drugs and alcohol. They’re just people that fell on a hard time and are looking for work to put their lives back together.”

In Rockland County, that safety net is Helping Hands — a network of 18 churches that provide shelter, hot meals, and social services.

“When the world tells you, your family, your friends that you can’t stay here anymore and you have no options, we try and set and keep people’s dignity, their self-worth, and their value as a person intact,” said Murray.

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